PR Wire

Arvind Kejriwal, National Convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to interact online with supporters in USA and Canada on October 20th

Silicon Valley, California, USA (October 7, 2013): The volunteers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the USA and Canada are rallying to host a live Hangout with Arvind Kejriwal on October 20th at 5.30 pm Pacific Time.

The rally comes at a crucial juncture for the party’s preparation for Delhi Election which since its inception has seen enthusiastic support from NRIs both as donors and volunteers. However in recent months, the Indian diaspora across the globe has significantly stepped up its efforts to help AAP. What started off with a spattering of volunteers across North America has grown to over one thousand donors and hundreds of active volunteers who campaign for AAP on a daily basis, remotely through phone calls, social media and other technologies. Many are taking weeks and months off to campaign for AAP in Delhi. Hundreds of volunteers across North America are hosting parties at their respective homes for their friends and family to watch the Hangout together and spread AAP’s message.

“I am looking forward to hosting this special get together at my home with my friends and family. They are keen on hearing Arvind first hand. I am sure this will have a ripple effect as they carry AAP’s message to their respective circle of friends,” says Mohan Thirumalai, an active AAP volunteer based in the US.

Excited about the meeting, Arvind Kejriwal said, “We see expatriate Indians as an integral part of India. They have plenty to contribute to the country in terms of know-how and expertise in every possible field imaginable. Most importantly, they are eager to give back to their mother land. We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to tapping into this resource.”

This is not the first time NRIs have rallied for Kejriwal. He got their enthusiastic support when he was a key player in the India against corruption movement before he launched the Aam Aadmi party along with several others from the same anti-corruption movement. His impressive credentials, his impeccable track record and his inspirational message to transform the politics of India has captured the imagination of many in India and across the globe. A brilliant campaigner, Kejriwal is on the campaign trail several hours a day. His drive and commitment, along with the efforts of several tens of thousands of campaign volunteers involved in a door-to-door campaign in Delhi combined with outreach efforts through social media, email, phone and SMS campaigns has positioned AAP for an unprecedented electoral success in the Delhi assembly elections on December 4. Under his leadership, AAP has transformed in less than a year from a fledgling political party to a major force to reckon with in the Delhi assembly elections scheduled for December 4, 2013. The media now calls the Delhi elections a three-way race between AAP, the BJP and the Congress.

"We are excited that Arvind is taking time from his busy schedule to update us on AAP’s campaign. There is palpable excitement and hope for a positive change in India. We anticipate a significant turnout with thousands of attendees as volunteers reach out to their respective networks” said Shalini Gupta, a Chicago-based organization development consultant who voluntarily advises AAP on its NRI outreach.

About Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): AAP was formally launched in November 2012 and Arvind Kejriwal is AAP’s National Convener. AAP is contesting its first election – the assembly elections in Delhi in December 2013. In less than a year AAP has gained significant momentum to become a key player in this election. AAP’s agenda for Delhi includes implementation of Jan Lokpal, reduction in price of electricity and water, large-scale improvements in government schools and hospitals, improvements in women’s safety and implementation of political decentralization or Swaraj. AAP is funded entirely by donations from people most of whom contribute online on the party’s website. Every single donation to the party is accounted for and the party also releases its income/expense statement. Its candidates are selected through a unique and open process. More information about AAP can be found at http://www.aamaadmiparty.org

About Arvind Kejriwal: Arvind Kejriwal completed his undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He later joined the India Revenue Service after qualifying through the Civil Services Examination. In February 2006, he resigned from his position of Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department. In December 1999, while he was still in service with the Income Tax Department, he helped found an NGO named Parivartan (which means change), focused on assisting citizens, especially the poor in navigating income tax, electricity and food ration matters in parts of Delhi. He spent extensive efforts to educate people on the RTI and was instrumental in the RTI Act which was passed by the India parliament in 2005. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006. He donated his Magsaysay award money as a corpus fund to found an NGO, Public Cause Research Foundation. In 2011, NDTV awarded him the Indian of the year award along with Anna Hazare. Prior to this he has won numerous awards over the years - Ashoka Fellow award in 2004 for Civic Engagement, the Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award from IIT Kanpur for his campaign for bringing transparency in Government, and the CNN-IBN, Indian of the Year for Public Service in 2006, to name a few.